Drones give energy companies high hopes for safer work

A crew works with an Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle during a test by ConocoPhillips last year in Alaska's Chukchi Sea.

A crew works with an Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle...

In the Alaskan tundra, inspecting a pipeline isn't easy. Most pipelines don't follow what few roads are there, so trucks often aren't an option. And using low-flying airplanes can be unsafe to pilots in snowy, windy weather.

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